Life-preserving raft



FARNHAM Z. TUCKER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LIFE-PRESERVING RAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 12,143, dated January 2, 1855.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FARNHAM Z. TUCKER, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Life-Car; and I do hereby declare that Lthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a view of my improved life car, represented in a suspended state. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section of one of the tubes of ditto. Fig. 3, is a transverse section of a series of tubes which are connected together and forni the improved life car.

The nature of my invention consists in the particular manner in which I unite buoyant cylinders and sustain them together, for the purpose of making a strong convenient and ever ready life preserving raft.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I I will proceed to describe it.

A, Fig. l represents a series of sheet metal cylinders, five are represented in Fig. l but more or less may be used as desired. These cylinders are connected together by transverse rods or bolts (a) (a) which pass through the cylinders and have nuts (b) at one end and heads (c) at the opposite ends. yTwo bolts or rods are represented in Fig. 1, but more may be used if necessary. At each end of the cylinders there are two transverse bars (l) (d), one on the upper and one on the lower surfaces of the cylinders and (e) are bolts which pass vertically through the cylinders and bars seel Figs. 2 and 3. The bolts or rods (a) as well as the bolts (e). pass through tubes in the cylinders as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in order to prevent leakage. Each cylinder A is divided into a suitable number of compartments by bulkheads or water-tight partitions (g) as shown in Fig. 2. Each* end of the cylinders may be conical or taper form as shown in Figs. l and 2, and ropes or chains (it) may be secured to the upper part or surface of the cylinders as shown in Fig. 1.

The Vabove invention is designed to take the place of the ordinary life boats now in use. It will be seen that my life car may be suspended upon different parts of a vessel without occupying much room, Ithey may be suspended at the side of the wheel house, for instance, and other parts of a ship, where they would not be an obstruction or m0- nopolize room required yfor other articles.

The cylinders may also be stowed away in a detached form, and if the life cars are required the `cylinders may be secured together in a very short time and with the greatest facility. One of the cylinders, the center one for instance, as shown in Fig. 3, may be used for storing provisions. The life cars may also be thrown into the water or launched from the ship without any care, as they cannot be filled with water like boats,` and the bulk heads or partitions prevent danger from the breaking of the cylinders, as the bulkheads form several watertight-compartments in each cylinder.

The ropes or chains serve as hold fasts for the passengers, and the upper surfaces ofV the cylinders form seats, whilev like interstices between afford room for the feet.

I am aware that buoyanty cylinders of metal or india rubber, either made in sections or of one chamber throughout, have been used aslife preservers, boats and rafts, and I, therefore, do not claim constructing a raft of such tubes; but

What I do claim as my invention and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent is- The -manner I have set forth of connecting such buoyant cylinders by passing rods through tubes at right angles as shown on the drawing by letters f, f, a and g, and secured by nuts, in connection with the straps or bands, cl, whereby I make a strong convenient and ever-ready life preserving Witnesses:

JOHN H. WARDWELL, JOHN MUNRo. 

